Late Thursday night, a promising sign emerged from Larissa Anderson’s camp. For a team rapidly losing key players, any positive development was more than welcome. Could it be a pitcher? They definitely need at least one.
A catcher? With Julia Crenshaw gone, Stefania Abruscato is the only one left. An infielder? With Daly and Walker out, they could use help there too. A power bat? Absolutely.
Turns out fans didn’t have to wait long. Eastern Carolina outfielder Emma Jackson announced she’ll be joining the Tigers for her final year of eligibility—a major pickup, considering 64Analytics had her ranked as the fifth-best player in the portal as of May 21.
Jackson, a junior left fielder, put up an impressive stat line this past season: a .326 batting average, .730 slugging percentage, and 1.183 OPS over 178 at-bats. She tallied 58 hits, 53 runs, 54 RBIs, 9 doubles, and a staggering 21 home runs—setting a new single-season record at ECU. She also walked 40 times, but her 40 strikeouts highlight an area for improvement.
While she struggled in matchups against South Carolina, Clemson, and Duke (0-for-10 with six Ks), Jackson shined in others—going 2-for-5 with a double and 2 RBIs vs. UNC, 2-for-5 with a homer and 3 RBIs vs. USF, 3-for-4 with a home run vs. Boston College, and had strong showings against NC State and Michigan as well.
Her standout performance came against Charlotte on March 28, when she crushed three home runs among four hits and drove in five runs. She also earned All-Conference Tournament Team honors after blasting two homers and racking up three RBIs against Memphis in the AAC Tournament’s second round.
Jackson’s sophomore season was even stronger. She started all 56 games, led the team in most offensive categories, and earned AAC Second Team All-Conference and NFCA All-Mideast First Team honors with a .397/.751/.460 slash line, 75 hits, 24 doubles, and 50 RBIs.
These performances landed her on both the Preseason Softball America and D1 Softball Top 100 players lists ahead of the 2025 season, and D1 Softball also ranked her the No. 19 outfielder in the country.
A Virginia native, Jackson began her college career at Virginia Tech, where she appeared in 27 games as a freshman (14 starts, mostly as a designated player), batting .556 in slugging with 12 hits and 14 runs in 45 at-bats.
This marks Larissa Anderson’s first offseason addition, and it likely won’t be the last. With Madison Walker, Julia Crenshaw, Kara Daly, Taylor Ebbs, and several others gone, more reinforcements are badly needed. The Tigers are also on the hunt for a new hitting coach following the recent departure of Jeff Cottrill. Stay tuned to Rock M Nation for more updates.
